Langdon Hospital Medium Secure Unit: ProCure21

What's this and how does it work?

This tool can be used to print a selection of pages to a PDF document. You can deselect pages from the list below which you do not wish to be included, then simply click the PDF button to print your customised document.

Europe

Langdon Hospital Medium Secure Unit: ProCure21

Langdon Hospital is home to the Devon Partnership NHS Trust’s secure service and provides care and treatment for men with differing mental health and learning disability needs.

Design and build

Interserve designed and constructed a state-of-the-art 60-bed medium secure unit as a replacement for a smaller facility that had become unfit for purpose. Divided into four ward areas, the new MSU building provides both long and short stay facilities and includes a therapies unit, office suite, library, gym and energy centre.

Design changes

Following a two year standstill period which occurred after the detail design was completed; there were significant design changes to be incorporated due to medium secure guidance updates and the inevitable changes in the consultant team who had originally developed the scheme. From the restart of the project Interserve’s proactive approach to bringing subcontractors on board early to work with the consultant team benefited all and reflected in the cost, programme and achieving a high quality product for the Trust. Facilitating the design and getting it revised in tandem with experienced suppliers was something very unique to this scheme and the level of integration the subcontractors experienced with the consultants and construction team was exceptional.

Internal layout

The MSU is situated on a 110-acre site and is strategically positioned to provide secure courtyards, an external therapy area with sports barn and a multi-use games area. The internal layout was developed in close liaison with nursing staff, clinicians and estate managers to provide a calming environment which is easily maintained, whilst preserving the privacy and dignity of the patients.

Technology

The project incorporates air source heat pumps, underfloor heating with the ability to circulate chilled water through the circuit during summer months, permeable paving/hard-standing material to allow infiltration of water back into the ground. The original project was a PFI new-build, officially approved by the local Strategic Health Authority with a budget of £45m – but Devon Partnership NHS Trust felt this was unaffordable. Instead, ProCure21 was employed to bring the entire project within budget constraints.

Innovation

SnagR - a web and PDA-based site inspection/defect management tool to effectively manage and record defects/snags.

Fast-track construction method in the form of prefabricated Kingspan panels.

Sustainability

Air source heat pumps have been fitted into the building to reduce the demand on the heating system.

A sustainable urban drainage system reduces the impact of surface water on the project. Permeable paving / permeable hard standing material is used around the building and car parks to allow infiltration of water back into the ground.

The scheme used a prefabricated Kingspan system, key benefits of this system include:

Tolerance testing - the panels were constructed off-site in a controlled environment with the highest levels of tolerances achieved. This meant that other trades could build to the openings already set out in the frame, making their process much quicker.

Speed of construction - the frame was built as soon as the design was approved. This greatly reduced the risk of delay on-site from factors such as weather and scheduling of trades. The panels came completely boarded apart from the lower 600mm to allow for services installation, once installed, the 600mm sheet was screwed into place on-site. Once lined and levelled, the roof cassettes were lifted into place. The roof covering and window installation followed, so the building was made watertight very early on.

Health and safety due to off-site fabrication, there was a much lower risk of accidents occurring. Less resources were required on-site; virtually no hot works and minimal need for manual handling.

Minimal wastage - everything is designed to standard dimensions so that full sheets can be utilised even if they are cut. When necessary, sheets were cut in multiples of 300, 400, 600mm resulting in minimal waste.

Interserve Employee Foundation (IEF)

During the project we learned that the Trust wanted to replace a derelict pavilion in the hospital grounds to enable local football teams and patients to use the football pitch.

We demolished the derelict pavilion and constructed a new one for free using waste materials from site, while also enabling two of our carpentry apprentices to gain experience in roof construction.

This was achieved through IEF, where employees are able to donate a day of their time to help local communities.

Testimonials

“Throughout the design and construction phases of this very challenging project, our working relationship with Interserve has been excellent. Interserve has displayed flexibility and responsiveness throughout and our shared partnership approach has been the key factor in the success of the project from the outset.”
Jim Masters – Project Director, Devon Partnership NHS Trust

"It was a pleasure to work on this project because of the way the staff and team took on new technology and we were able to work through any issues together to find solutions that have worked really well."
Martin Payne, Senior Project Manager, Interserve Construction Limited

"Our relationship with Martin, the Interserve team and their supply chain has been first class".
Jim Masters, Project Director, Devon Partnership HNS Trust

“I found Interserve’s approach to this project, particularly the people on site very open and very honest, if we’ve found something hasn’t worked out we’ve all really worked together to find a solution. It hasn’t been contractual or stressful”.
Helen Griffin, Project Architect, Devereux Architects

"The flexibility of the response that Interserve has provided has been really excellent. The working relationships have been fantastic. This project has been a model I think, in my experience and this will probably be the last major capital project that I deliver, it really has been one of the best if not the best.”
Jim Masters, Project Director, Devon Partnership NHS Trust